Poor Houses: Post-Luxury Mini-Homes for the Formerly Rich

This somewhat extreme (shall we say: lavish?) art-and-architecture project was, according to artist Kacey Wong, “inspired by the recent economic tsunami when the rich lost their fortune overnight,” and asks the question of how one can “live on the street but still maintain a facade of looking good and high style?”

For the future upper-middle-class homeless of Hong Kong, these mobile robo-shells are made for a luxury lifestyle on the go. Yes, there is clearly some satire built in – from the retro-futuristic robotic shells to the pictures of the formerly-wealthy inhabitants basking in the sun, playing golf and drinking champagne to keep up posh appearances despite their fall from grace.

Like some kind of cross between a coffin and a race car, these colorful mobile mini-homes are each sized (like a fine suit or custom dress) to fit each member of a well-rounded neuvo-poor family. From a relaxing romp in the park to a nice night out on the town, they are fashionably fit for virtually any occasion.

A precursor project by Kacey Wong known as Tin Man #11 took on the question of homelessness in a likewise frank-but-funny fashion, pointing out through a simpler sort of robot – that doubles as a bed, desk and sofa – that many people without homes in Hong Kong choose to be so in order to save money and/or sleep closer to their place of work.